Our use of cookies

Options

Back

We use cookies to help our site work, to understand how it is used, and to tailor the adverts presented on our site. By clicking “Accept” below, you agree to us doing so. You can read more in our
cookie notice. Or, if you do not agree, you can click Manage below to access other choices.

You can choose whether or not to accept advertising cookies from our advertising partner Google using the buttons below. If you choose not to, you will still see adverts on our site, because they help us to fund it, but those adverts will not be tailored to you. You can also choose not to accept session and analytics cookies through the settings in your browser, but some parts of our site might stop working as a result. You can also learn more in our
cookie notice.

Watchdog downgrades council status

A GOVERNMENT watchdog has downgraded Hyndburn Council following the
chaos of its £1.8M cash crisis.

Share

by Accrington Observer

00:00, 15 Apr 2004Updated09:56, 6 Feb 2013

Enter your postcode to see news and information near you

Community updates, Crime Statistics, Local News & Events and much more...

A GOVERNMENT watchdog has downgraded Hyndburn Council following the chaos of its £1.8M cash crisis.

Audit Commission inspectors visited the authority in October to carry out a comprehensive performance assessment, examining how well it delivers and implements its services.

An announcement was due in January but delayed until March, only to be postponed again.

But now opposition Labour leader Councillor Jean Battle has revealed the council was downgraded in status from "good" to "fair", and has launched an official appeal.

She said: "We were told unofficially that it was originally 'good' but it had been changed following the crisis and the council was objecting to it."

"I think this is a valid objection. The Audit Commission said we had faults in our financial control, which we already knew about and moved to fix, so I think it is unfair."

There are five possible scores: poor, weak, fair, good and excellent.

Council leader Peter Britcliffe launched a scathing attack on the Labour leader for revealing the decision.

He said: "I am amazed at her lack of standards and integrity. Under Audit Commission rules, councillors are not allowed to reveal anything about the results until they're made public by the Commission."

"Because of the terrible budget problems we inherited from Labour, and Mrs Battle in particular, the Audit Commission took a second look."

"We're confident that the tough action we took, which Mrs Battle is determined to undermine, and the measures we introduced have improved us."

Councillor Battle said she blamed neither her party nor the Conservatives for the council's downgrading. But she said council officers should have provided better advice in order to prevent the crisis.

"I wouldn't blame any party but I would blame the officers," she said. "They get paid about £50,000 a year to make sure the financial management is sound."

Councillor Britcliffe said it would not be "the end of the world" if an upgrading was not given.

A spokesman for the Audit Commission would not confirm the downgrading, but said: "We are talking through what we think we are going to say with the council. But if there is a lot of talking to do that can slow the process down."